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Out of control: How to live in an unfathomable world

By Braden R. Allenby and Daniel Sarewitz

We need to accept that the interactions of technology, society and nature are now beyond our understanding

SOON after the combination of an earthquake and the resulting tsunami destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan earlier this year, opposing sides began to mobilise their standard arguments to reach foregone conclusions. Obviously, the disaster showed that nuclear power was insanely risky and should be abandoned. Equally obviously, new reactors will be designed to avoid such risks and will be crucial for meeting the planet’s growing energy and environmental demands.